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Issue 34, November 2019

With Christmas fast approaching, and the weather well and truly getting frosty, join us in looking over our most recent

activities and news—from Halloween highlights, special projects and new staff!

In this Issue:

Fife Young Carers Updates

Young Carers Grant

Recent Activities

Health Information—Fibromyalgia

Back Page News

New Staff!

Welcome Barbara Bruce! Barbara joins us from Barnardo’s and has worked with children and young people across Fife for a

number of years. “I have worked in Fife supporting families and young people since 2002 through different agencies

as well as voluntarily. Through these roles I have made many referrals to FYC and have experienced first-hand the huge difference this support can make to young people and their families. I am

excited to be now working as a Support Worker for FYC and look forward to meeting all the amazing young carers in my area”.

Barbara will be working as our under 16 Support Worker for the North-East Fife area!

We are also pleased to introduce Rebecca Mellon to our team!

Rebecca brings a wealth of experience with her, having previously worked with children and

young people in a variety of settings, including education and the voluntary sector.

“For the last 10 years I have supported children and young people within different settings, such as Education, the voluntary sector and providing family support. I have experience of being a young carer myself so I am aware of the many challenges young people with caring responsibilities face. I am excited to join the Fife Young Carers team and look forward to helping to have a positive impact on the lives of young carers within West Fife.”

Rebecca will be working as our under 16 Support Worker for the West Fife area.

Welcome to the team ladies!

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Photo Extracted from Social Security Scotland: https://www.mygov.scot/young-carer-grant/

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Confirming who you are

The document you’ll need to send to Social Security to confirm who you are will depend on your nationality. If you’re British or Irish, please send them a photocopy of one of these:

a valid passport

your full birth certificate

If you’re from a country in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, please send a photocopy of either your valid passport, or your National Identity Card.

If you’re from anywhere else, please send a photocopy of your Biometric Residence Permit or documentation from the Home Office confirming your immigration status.

Please note this grant is only available for Young Carers living in Scotland

Confirming where you live

To help them confirm that you live in Scotland, you will also need to send a photocopy of one of these:

a letter from a professional body, dated within the last three months and on headed paper (such as a doctor, dentist, optician, school, college, or charity)

a bank or building society statement dated within the last three months

a letter from a social worker

a GP registration letter

a UK electoral voting card

a letter from the Department for Work and Pensions, dated within the last three months (such as a benefit award letter)

financial support award letter from Student Award Agency Scotland (SAAS), from the current academic year financial support award letter from Education Maintenance Award (EMA), from the current academic year

a letter from a Scottish local authority, dated within the last three months (such as a housing benefit letter)

Documents Needed

Frequently Asked Questions

1) Does the young carer need to pay this money back? No, it’s not a loan and doesn’t have to be

repaid by the young carer.

2) Who is paid the money? The money will be paid directly to the young carer’s chosen financial

account.

3) When can young carers apply? They can apply yearly from age 16 to 18 and will have to

reapply each year if they are still eligible.

4) Does it affect other benefits? No, Young Carer Grant will be disregarded for UK benefit and

tax credit assessments.

5) How do you apply? Call freephone on 0800 182 2222 to complete the application over the

phone or to request a paper application form. Or go to mygov.scot/young-carer-grant.

Qualifying Benefits:

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) - daily living component

Disability Living Allowance (DLA, including DLA for children) - the middle or highest care rate.

Attendance Allowance

Constant Attendance Allowance at above the normal maximum rate with an industrial Injuries Disablement

Benefit

Constant Attendance Allowance at the basic (full day) rate with a War Disablement Pension

Armed Forces Independence Payment

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Ocean Youth Trust Residential

In August, we were very lucky to be awarded funding to take part in another Ocean Youth Trust adventure!

5 days of action packed sailing across the West coast of Scotland: from Greenock to Holy Loch, then on to Isle of Arran

and finally Tarbet. Young Carers were taught how to, and eventually took charge, of every aspect of the sailing journey.

The trip was absolutely life changing, for both Young Carers and Staff. All excelled in every aspect of sailing; gaining

confidence, making friends, strengthening their resilience and learning valuable life skills.

"It's been eye opening, I've made a new group of friends that I can trust. I enjoyed steering the boat, but tidying the

ropes up was hard." - YC, aged 16.

“Thank you so much for taking (YC) on the Ocean Youth Trust trip—they have not stopped talking about it since. I have

noticed a massive improvement in his mental health, thank you again for the once in a lifetime opportunity!” - Parent of

YC, aged 13.

Parliament & Dynamic Earth Trip

We recently received funding to take Young and Young Adult

Carers on a trip to the Scottish Parliament and Dynamic

Earth—Learning about the history of our Government and

the history of Earth itself!

We had a great time as you can see!

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Halloween group nights are always a firm favourite with YC’s—

Dookin’ for apples, messy string doughnuts, pumpkin/pepper

carving and, of course, dressing up!

The Young Carers Focus Group had

a brilliant trip to Mary Kings Close in

Edinburgh!

As well as a Halloween themed group night with

pumpkin carving, YAC’s also got to enjoy a spooky

night at Cairney Fruit Farm in their haunted

maze!

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Young Carers guide to

Fibromyalgia

What is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a chronic (long-term) condition of widespread pain and profound fatigue (tiredness/lack of

energy). The pain tends to be felt as aching or burning, often described as head to toe. It may be worse at

some times than at others. It may also change location in the body, usually becoming more severe in parts of

the body that are used most.

The fatigue ranges from feeling tired, to the exhaustion of a flu-like illness. It may come and go and people

can suddenly feel drained of all energy – as if someone just “pulled the plug”. Fibromyalgia Syndrome

(fibromyalgia for short) is a common illness.

People with mild to moderate cases of fibromyalgia are usually able to live a normal life, given the

appropriate treatment.

Fibromyalgia is known as a syndrome because it is a collection of symptoms rather than a specific identifying symptom. Besides pain and fatigue fibromyalgia symptoms often include:

Non refreshing sleep

waking up tired and stiff

headaches ranging from ordinary types to migraine

irritable bowel

frequent diarrhoea or constipation, sometimes accompanied by gas in the abdomen or nausea

cognitive disturbances including lack of concentration and word mix up

clumsiness and dizziness

sensitivity to changes in the weather and to noise, bright lights, smoke and other environmental factors

allergies

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For more information or useful guides, please go to Fibromyalgia Action UK:

Www.fmauk.org.

Diagnosis

Fibromyalgia is not new, but for most of the last century it was difficult to diagnose. Part of the problem has

been that the condition could not be identified in the standard laboratory tests or x-rays. Moreover, many of

its signs and symptoms are found in other conditions as well – especially in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

Once other medical conditions have been ruled out through tests and the patient’s history, diagnosis depends on two main symptoms: 1) widespread pain for more than three months together with 2) pain in at least 11 out of 18 tender point sites when they are pressed. “Widespread pain” means pain above and below the waist and on both sides of the body. The “tender points”,

or spots of extreme tenderness, are rarely noticed by the patient until they are pressed.

Causes

Fibromyalgia often develops after some sort of trauma that seems to act as a trigger, such

as a fall or car accident, a viral infection, childbirth, an operation or an emotional event.

Sometimes the condition begins without any obvious trigger.

The actual cause of fibromyalgia has not yet been found. Over the past several years,

however, research has produced some insights into this puzzling condition. For instance, it

has been known that most people with fibromyalgia are deprived of deep restorative

sleep.

Treatment Although there's currently no cure for fibromyalgia, there are treatments to help relieve some of the symptoms and make the condition easier to live with. Treatment tends to be a combination of: medicine, such as antidepressants and painkillers talking therapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and counselling lifestyle changes, such as exercise programmes and relaxation techniques Exercise in particular has been found to have a number of important benefits for people with fi-

bromyalgia, including helping to reduce pain. Young Carers Perspective: ‘Living with someone with fibro can be really stressful—they can have good days, but they can also have bad days when they can’t get out of bed, or move at all. It makes me feel useless when I am out of the house, as I can’t really help. My advice would be, to make sure your cared-for person is comfortable before leaving the house. I would also recommend telling your teacher/tutor/work about their condition; I often have to phone to make sure they are ok and my tutor is really understanding as she is aware of what I go through.’ - Kayleigh, 16.

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Method:

1. To make the pastry, rub 225g cold, diced butter into 350g plain flour, then mix in 100g golden caster sugar and a pinch of salt.

2. Combine the pastry into a ball – don’t add liquid – and knead it briefly. The dough will be fairly firm, like shortbread dough. You can use the dough immediately, or chill for later.

3. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C. Line 18 holes of two 12-hole patty tins, by pressing small walnut-sized balls of pastry into each hole.

4. Spoon 280g mincemeat into the pies.

5. Take slightly smaller balls of pastry than before and pat them out between your hands to make round lids, big enough to cover the pies.

6. Top the pies with their lids, pressing the edges gently together to seal – you don’t need to seal them with milk or egg as they will stick on their own.

7. Beat 1 small egg and brush the tops of the pies. Bake for 20 mins until golden. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 mins, then remove to a wire rack.

8. To serve, lightly dust with icing sugar.

18 small pies . Prep Time 30mins. Cooking time 20mins. Ingredients: 225g cold butter, diced

350g plain flour

100g golden caster sugar

280g mincemeat

1 small egg

icing sugar, to dust

Classic Christmas recipe—and really easy to make!

If you would like anymore information or

have any questions about the content of

this newsletter, please contact Amber

Reid, Fife Young Carers Development

Worker on 01592 786717 or email

amber@fifeyoungcarers.co.uk